LEAD STORY: Stolen - $280,000 car; result - 250km/h crash | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

A Havelock North teenager who stole a $280,000 Audi from a family friend before crashing at 250km/h just hours after appearing in Youth Court, has been jailed for 12 months.

Michael Johnny Kight, 17, yesterday pleaded guilty in Napier District Court to a spate of offences including burglary, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, dangerous driving, driving while forbidden and driving while intoxicated. All charges arose from a whirlwind two hours of drunken offending on October 7.

After attending a party in Havelock North, Kight entered a friend's house on Iona Rd about 1am. He searched the property and stole sunglasses, designer watches, jewellery, laptop computers, cell phones, cameras and other electrical goods. He also uplifted two shotguns, a .22 rifle, BB-gun and over $500 in foreign currency.

He loaded the goods into a V8-powered Audi R4 sedan parked in the garage and drove off.

Two hours later, travelling in excess of 250km/h, he lost control of the car on Farndon Rd and smashed into a barrier. The car flipped and flew through the air over an adjacent railway line, landing in a paddock 250 metres from the initial impact.

A total of 13 posts ripped from the ground flew a similar distance.

The force was so great the stocks of the two shotguns were smashed as they were thrown about in the car, which was written off. Kight received only minor injuries, which Judge Geoff Rea described as ``nothing short of a miracle''.

Defence counsel Roger Philip told the court it would be ``folly'' to release his client, as he had considerable mental health issues, and there were no medical institutions in New Zealand that could deal with his needs. ``He's fallen between the cracks,'' Mr Philip said.

Kight's parents had spent $500,000 on private rehabilitative schools as far afield as the United States and Samoa.

Judge Rea said the theft of firearms and travelling at ``obscene speeds'' had aggravated the offending. ``There's no doubt you have had a tragic life,'' the judge said. ``I don't think I've ever seen so many reports about one individual in all my life.

``You've been placed in the best care worldwide ... but you repaid the trust they've [parents] shown by re-offending. You're not without your own personal demons ... but in the end it's not an excuse for the behaviour you have exhibited.''

Reparations had been sorted out of court between the two families, but Kight was ordered to pay $10,323 to Hastings District Council for damage done to the roadside barrier.